This invention relates in general to the coloring of hair, in particular the localized coloring, and to a set of instruments for coloring selected groups of hair strands.
A very wide variety of devices, applicators and specialized containers have been developed for use in coloring human hair. Some simply color all of the hair uniformly, while others are capable of localized coloring of selected areas of the hair, selected groups of hair strands, etc. with varying degrees of effectiveness. All of the prior devices and methods have drawbacks that make them less than ideal.
Very large, powered, apparatus have been designed for uniform hair coloring, such as are described by Rudd in U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,181 and Anderson in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,524. These devices are expensive, cumbersome, difficult to clean and tend to provide an unnatural looking uniform color to all or nearly all of the hair. They are not capable of providing natural appearing variations or highlights in the hair, or of performing frosting, tipping, etc.
Conversely, a number of very simple applicators have been developed, such as those described by Morganroth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,247, and Miya in U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,635. These applicators consist of a plastic squeeze bottle containing a hair coloring liquid with a nozzle for application and, in some cases, a brush, roller, or the like either incorporated into the nozzle or adjacent to the nozzle. The liquids used in these devices tend drip or spread beyond the desired application area. Dispensing a precise amount of the liquid is difficult, and if excess liquid is dispensed it cannot be returned to the bottle. Since the coloring agent is generally dispensed against hair against the scalp, the scalp surface may also be colored. Selecting a particular number of strands for coloring in an area is very difficult. These applicators are difficult to clean and would be expensive to dispose of after only a single use.
A hair clip hair coloring agent applicator is described by Busch et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,030. This device uses two rollers that contain a colorant in a sponge-like material (similar to stamp pad material) with the rollers spring-loaded toward each other. The rollers are moved apart, selected groups of hair strands are placed between the rollers which are released and moved along the hair. There is no control of how much coloring liquid is applied. Further, because of the diameter of the rollers, hair close to the scalp cannot be colored and attempts to color close to the scalp will bring the coloring liquid into contact with adjacent hair areas.
Thus, there is a continuing need for improved instruments for applying hair coloring agents to selected groups of hair strands which uses a more controllable coloring agent than the prior liquids, provides complete control over the number of strands colored and the amount of coloring agent used, permits coloring very close to the scalp without coloring the scalp and are easy to use and clean for re-use.